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Anise-Scented Short Ribs (Real Food, Paleo, Whole30)

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Before I post the recipe, please let me apologize for not have a picture for this yummy dish.  The finished meal was delicious, but it turns out, I cannot take a good picture of most meals...I just can't. These short ribs, however, are perfection!

I made this dish in my beloved Instant Pot, but I have included directions for stovetop* cooking.  And I imagine that this recipe can easily be adapted to cook in a slow cooker, as well.

This recipe calls for star anise, which gets its obvious name from its shape.  It is a spice that is heavily used in many cultures due to its lovely licorice taste and fragrance.  But star anise also has surprising medicinal uses, too!  Star anise is the main source of a chemical compound that is synthesized to make flu medications.   Not surprising that this spice is used in a lot of warming winter soups and stews, such as this one.

These short ribs call for whole star anise, which can then be easily removed from the finished dish once cooking is complete.  A small amount of Five Spice Powder can be used as a substitution in a pinch, as this common blend contains ground star anise, cinnamon, fennel, and other spices.

For my rice-loving family, I used my second pressure cooker to make a pot of bone broth jasmine rice.  For this, two cups of rice, plus three cups bone broth (and salt, to taste) takes ten minutes to cook using the pot's Rice setting.


Anise-Scented Short Ribs 


  • 3 pounds boneless short ribs, cut into large chunks
  • Real Salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon organic olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 5 slices of fresh ginger, peeled
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 5 whole star anise pods (or 3/4 teaspoon Five Spice Powder)
  • 1 cup bone broth, or water
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos (I used this one)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce (I used this one)
  • 1 tablespoon natural rice wine vinegar
  • 3 carrots, cut into large chunks

1.  Preheat the broiler and lay the short ribs on a baking sheet.  Season one side well with salt.  Place the pan under the broiler and broil until the ribs are browned.  Flip the meat, season with salt, and broil once again until the second side is browned - about 5 minutes per side.

2.  Meanwhile, preheat the pressure cooker on the Saute setting and warm the oil.  Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion softens.  Stir in the ginger slices and garlic, and cook for a minute or two more, watching carefully so that the garlic does not burn.

3.  Add the browned beef to the pot, along with the star anise (or Five Spice Powder), broth or water, coconut aminos, fish sauce, and rice wine vinegar.  Stir the pot well, then lay the carrot slices on top - do not stir.

4.  Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and set the cooking time for 90 minutes.  Once the cooking process is complete, quick-release the pressure and remove the star anise, if using, and ginger slices. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

*Stovetop directions:

1.  Brown the meat under the broiler, as above.

2.  Using a Dutch oven or soup pot, follow steps 2 and 3.  Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, reduce the heat and cover.  Cook the beef for about one hour, or until the meat is tender.





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